Wang Daohan, chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) in the mainland, has said he wished to send representatives to the funeral of his Taiwanese counterpart Koo Chen-fu.

Koo, Chairman of the Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) in Taiwan, died of kidney failure on Jan. 3 at the age of 89.

In an earlier interview with the press, Wang said that in the past month since Mr. Koo's death, compatriots across the Taiwan Straits have praised Koo for his contribution to the development of cross-strait relations and his honoring of the consensus reached in 1992 by ARATS and SEF that "both sides across the Taiwan Straits stick to the 'one -China' principle."

"I have cherished the memories of my old friend and wished to attend his funeral," Wang said. "However, due to my old age I am too weak to go there."

"I would like to send Sun Yafu and Li Yafei, who have met Mr. Koo at Wang-Koo meetings, to attend the funeral on my behalf," Wang said.

In April 1993, Koo and Wang held in Singapore the first ever high-level, non-governmental talks between Taiwan and the mainland. The talks were known as the Wang-Koo meeting. In 1998 they held the second talks in Shanghai.

Wang hopes Sun and Li will fulfill his wish with the help of Koo's family.